Marquee Moon was not punk rock. Likewise, Quadrophenia was not a rock opera. Neither was S.F. Sorrow. And neither was The Story Of Simon Simopath. Tommy? A concept album. A cantata of songs. But a rock opera? No, not at all. In retrospect, an obvious thing to say - but I came round to it much later than I would care to admit. To be precise, this happened when I realised that I have zero patience for anything that Andrew Lloyd Webber did after 1970. When I realised, and this was a realisation both frustrating and quite sweet, that the only rock opera I really liked was Jesus Christ Superstar.
To me, and I say this with a straight face and completely unironically, Jesus Christ Superstar is one of the greatest musical achievements of the 20th century. It really is quite wonderful to keep rediscovering it once every few years. It is such an expansive and smart work of art that I remain awe-struck, time and time again, by Webber's musical genius (which went away too quickly, together with restraint, but it keeps haunting us with the poignant melody of "Pilate's Dream") and Tim Rice's highly intelligent, if slightly controversial, lyrics (I really do insist that you should follow the lyrics while listening to the album).
And oh yes - Jesus Christ Superstar is indeed an opera. But do not let it put obscene ideas into your head. The vocals are often operatic and there are choruses which belong on stage but that should in no way distract you from the fact that there is subtlety and taste behind everything you hear on this album (incidentally, I prefer the actual album and not the soundtrack to the movie).
As a child, I was frightened by the metallic guitar in "Overture" and the famous riff that appeared out of the orchestral 'noise'. I was disturbed by the fact that it was Judas who set the tone with the bitter opening "Heaven On Their Minds". I was made uncomfortable by "This Jesus Must Die" and moved by "Pilate's Dream". I was captivated by the intoxicating singing in "The Temple" and fascinated by the gorgeous gospel chorus of "The Last Supper". I was obsessed with the verse melody of "King Herod's Song" and I felt guilty for loving it so much. My nerves got stretched to their limits during "Trial Before Pilate" and I simply did not know where to hide during "Crucifixion". All these feelings are still with me, to an extent, and there is no joy equal to going back in time and reliving them religiously. No pun intended.
Instrumentally, melodically, emotionally - this record never fails to amaze me. Treat it as a rock opera. Treat it as a collection of songs. Treat it as an alternative history set to rock music. Doesn't matter, it works on every level. Even as a piece of literature - it is unparalleled.
Oh and one more thing: your stance on religion is completely immaterial.
